Justice

Timeline of Anglicans in Aotearoa

By John Payne / 24 April 1999

(From an Auckland Diocesan perspective)

1814 At invitation of Ruatura, Samuel Marsden establishes a CMS Mission Station at Rangihoua – Kendall, Hall and King

1819 Further Mission Station established at Kerikeri under protection of Hongi Hika

1823 Reverend Henry Williams arrives and established another Mission Station at Paihia. Development of Te Hahi Mihingare – the Maori Missionary Church. First Maori Baptism 4 March – Maria Ringa baptised by Kendall as prelude to marriage to Phillip Tapsell on 23 June

1827 First Scriptures printed in Maori. By 1840 Colenso the CMS printer had printed 3.5 million pages of material, with a further 2 million in 1840

1835 Declaration of Independence of Confederation of the United Tribes of New Zealand on 28 October 1835

1840 Te Tiriti o Waitangi signed by Maori chiefs, many of whom were Christian. Treaty affirmed Te Tino Rangatira of Maori and granted Kawanatanga (a limited function of government) to Crown.
Population about 125,000 Maori and 2000 Pakeha.
Apihai Te Kawau, of Ngati Whatua, gifts 3000 acres to Governor Hobson to establish City of Auckland with 200 pounds returned in koha transaction

1841 Henry Venn CMS Secretary advocates self-determining, self-supporting, self-propagating Church

1842 George August Selwyn arrives, first Bishop of New Zealand. Founded College of St John the Evangelist in Waimate North 1843, College moved to Tamaki 1844. Pakeha Settler Church developed.

1845 With increase in Pakeha colonisation comes process of dispossession of Maori land, resources, human rights, language and spirituality. Hone Heke, a baptised Christian and member of Te Hahi Mihingare, chops down the Maori Confederation flagpole as a non-violent protest at British not honouring the Treaty. Britis troops use Waimate Station as a base in the military invasion of the North. “Te Atua Wera” religion spreads in the North – began in 1833

1846 Governor Grey begins policy to discredit Henry Williams

1847 William Williams complains that the Treaty of Waitangi was being dishonoured by the Government and land grabs

1853 Rota Waitoa ordained Deacon, priested 1860, Te Matamua o Nga Minita Maori. Also in 1853, Tamihana Te Rauparaha, who was baptised in 1843 and trained at St John’s College, together with another Mihingare Christian, Matene Te Whiwhi, called for kotahitanga of Maori Tribes under a Maori King to preserve them from the effects of colonisation, such as alienation of land. They advocated co-existence of Maori and Pakeha with “God over both, and Love binding them to each other.”

1857 Bishop Selwyn convenes a Constituent Assembly 13 June at St Stephen’s Church, Judges Bay, Auckland and a Constitution drawn up on the basis of “mutual and voluntary compact”. Although Clergy, CMS and Lay were represented, there were NO MAORI PRESENT

1859 Bishop Selwyn spoke at the General Synod of future Maori representation

1860 Church opposition to Waitara ‘purchase’, particularly from Selwyn and Hadfield

1863 Selwyn supports military invasion of the Waikato (by an Anglican Governor and an Anglican General and political backers) and acts as Chaplain to British troops

1864 On 21 February Maori elders, women and children in the undefended village of Rangiaowhia, seeking sanctuary in a Church, are burnt alive by Government troops. Maori grievance at being abandoned by Anglican Church and also at improper disposal of lands that had been given for churches. Pai Marire (1862) and Ringatu (1867) religions born.

1877 Hemi Matenga of Ngati Toa writes to ‘Waka Maori’ requesting a Maori Bishop to replace Williams who resigned from Waiapu

1880 General Synod declines request for a Bishop for Maori in favour of a policy of ASSIMILATION

1883 Te Rau College established to train Maori Clergy – function taken over by St John’s College in 1920. Other Maori Anglican Colleges include St Stephen’s in Auckland, Te Aute College (1885), Hukarere Girls’ School in Napier (1875) and Queen Victoria School for Girls in Auckland (1903)

1902 CMS pulls out of New Zealand

1904 Maori Mission Board set up but abolished in 1913 through lack of financial support

1913 General Synod bypasses a motion for Maori Clerical and Lay Representation at General Synod

1925 North Island Bishops excommunicate Anglicans who follow Ratana. Commission including Apirana Ngata recommends that a separate Maori Diocese be created, to be called “The Diocese of Aotearoa”. A Special Session of General Synod approved the necessary legislation, but the North Island Bishops refused to consecrate a Maori Bishop, so the legislation fell dormant

1928 Frederick Augustus Bennett consecrated as first Maori Bishop in compromise as suffragan Bishop of Waiapu, with inadequate funding and without representation at General Synod. His Episcopal ministry among Maori people depended on the goodwill of Diocesan Bishops

1946 Bishop Simpkin of Auckland withdrew support of Maori Bishop, so 100 confirmation candidates in the Maori Batallion at Ohaeawai went to Rotorua

1951 Wiremu Netana Panapa consecrated as second Maori Bishop

1968 Manuhuia Augustus Bennet consecrated as the third Maori Bishop

1971 Paul Reeves consecrated Bishop of Waiapu, translated to Auckland in 1979, made Primate and Archbishop in 1980 and first Maori Governor General in 1985

1975 Waitangi Tribunal set up by Labour Government to examine cases arising after 1975

1978 Finally, after yet another Commission (1976), the sixth in 50 years, Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa established with autonomous representation at General Synod and a mandate to give “full Episcopal care and supervision of Maori people”.
Puti Murray ordained as first Maori woman Priest

1980’s: Decade of Maori Renaissance – development of Minita-a-Iwi and Church involvement in the Treaty and social issues such as Bastion Point and the Springbok Tour and support for Programmes on Racism. Waitangi Tribunal amended in 1985 to be retrospective to 1840. Waitangi Tribunal publishes Motonui, Kaituna, Manukau, Te Reo, Waiheke, Orakei, Muriwhenua and Manganui reports.
Labour Government begins process of restructuring Health, Education, Social Welfare etc. using “trickle down” and “user pays” values

1981 Whakahuihui Vercoe consecrated Te Pihopa of Aotearoa as a partner of Diocesan Bishops

1984 Bicultural Commission to study the Treaty of Waitangi established by General Synod

1986 General Synod accepts report and Te Kaupapa Tikanga Rua published

1988 General Synod begins process of amending the Constitution to facilitate partnership

1989 Provincial Bicultural Education Unit established. A New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa published

1990 Church leaders publish a Statement 150 years after signing of Treaty of Waitangi. Pihopa Whakahuihui Vercoe tells Country and Crown at Waitangi, “We have not honoured each other’s promises”

1990’s: Decade of political developments with beginnings of Resource and Power Sharing. Some important Waitangi Tribunal Settlements following rejection of the ‘Fiscal Envelope’ in 1994. Labour loses Maori Seats after MMP Election in 1996 and Coalition Government formed.
Te Pihopatanga proposes a model for Constitutional Reform of the country to give effect to Treaty of Waitangi in Government structures.

1991 Te Rau Kahikatea inaugurated with Ahorangi at St John’s College. Diocesan Council of Auckland Diocese meet with Ngati Whatua o Orakei Trust Board to begin resolution of disrupted covenant relationship from Church sale of land in 1926 previously given for a church and school

1992 Revised Constitution of Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, recognising the covenant partnership relationship under the Gospel and Treaty of Waitangi, providing for each partner to worship and minister in their own language and culture. Canon XX Title B of Code of Canons outlines Tikanga relationships and responsibilities. Inter-Diocesan Conferences provide a process for Tikanga Pakeha to caucus together

Ordination and consecration of Regional Maori Bishops:
Brown William Turei as Pihopa ki te Tairawhiti
Waiohau Rui Te Haara as Pihopa ki te Taitokerau
Muru Walters as Pihopa ki te Upoko o te Ika
John Gray (1996) as Pihopa ki te Waipounamu
Te Pihopa o Aotearoa retains responsibility for Manawa o te Wheke

1995 Auckland Diocesan Bicultural Committee disbanded to unequivocally place responsibility on Diocesan Council. Ongoing need to audit actions, processes and decisions in terms of the roles and responsibilities of Kawanatanga, and the covenant partnership relationship under the Treaty and Revised Constitution

1996 The College of the Southern Cross inaugurated for Tikanga Pakeha, Tikanga Polynesia (for the time being) and the Church of the Province of Melanesia. St John’s College the umbrella for all the Tikanga Colleges

Compiled with reference to the following sources:

- Davidson, Allan. Transplanted Christianity
- Te Kaupapa Tikanga Rua
- Archives of the Auckland Diocesan Bicultural Committee